Dividers.



BEST AVAILABLE CUPY E. THOMPSON.

DIVIDERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1914..

1,150,556. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

3mm E. THOMPSON m 1/. 9 W. a, M

8. Roan:

ELLIS THOMPSON, OF SANTA FE, OHIO.

DIVIDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedAug'. 17, 1915.

Application filed September 26, 1914. Serial No. 863,735.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELLIs THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Fe, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Dividers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in dividers and has for its object to provide an instrument simple and economic of construction and which may be used not only as a divider but also as a scratch awl and center punch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of dividers with a centering member which is longitudinally adjustable with relation to the legs of the dividers, and which may be held in various adjusted positions, and still another object in this connection is to so mount this centering memher with relation to the legs of the dividers that it may be longitudinally shifted as the legs of the dividers are opened or closed, the amoimt of this shifting movement being proportioned to the angular movement of the divider legs.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement hereinafter more particularly described.

In order that those familiar with the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make and use my improvement and appreciate its advantages I will now describe the same referring by numerals to the accompanving drawing. in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 6-4) of Fig. 1 with the legs of the divider broken away, and Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the reciprocatory member with which the divider legs are connected.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1 represents the head of'substantially form the vertical leg 2 of which is formed with a vertical passage 3 for the reception of an adjustable centering member 4 which may be secured in fixed relation with the head by a set screw 5.

The laterally disposed arms 6 of the head 1 are bifurcated as shown at Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 with its adapted to receive the upper ends of the divider legs 7 which are pivotally connected therewith by pintles 8.

A Z-shaped slide member 9 as shown at parallel planes and with a central vertical passage 11 extending through the head and the depending shank 12 is adapted to receive the centering member l and is provided with a set screw 13 the purpose of which will be presently explained.

14: are flat metal links pivotally connected at 15 to the divider legs 7 and pivotally connected at 16 to the arms 10 of the memher 9 and by reason of the offset relation of these arms the links occupy positions on opposite sides of the member a and the lateral arms 10 in different )ivots are on o Jposite sides of the vertical center of said member. The object of forming the member 9 Z-shaped in plan, and therefore with the offset arms 10, is to per mit the links 14 to be crossed, thus reducing the tendency of the links to bind, and further to permit the legs to turn into approximately parallel position and against the side edges of the sliding member 9, these offset arms acting to support the legs when they are turned into parallel position. The links 14 are deflected as best shown at Fig. 2 to compensate for the difference between the ghiclgness of the divider legs and the mem- Having described the construction which as will be obvious, is simple and economical, I will now describe the manner of using the instrument and the various uses to which it is adapted.

When it is desired to find the center of a cylinder or circle or between two points, the legs are shifted upon their pivots 8 with their pointed extremities at the termini of the distance centered and with the set screws 5 and 13 released the member i is forced down and its contact with the surface being measured will indicate the exact center between the divider legs 7. Both screws 5 and 13 may then be tightened and the divider legs and the centering point will thus be held in fixed relation.

When it is desired to use the instrument as a scratch awl or gage the screws 5 and 13 are released and the centering member 4: forced upwardly to any desired degree, and the legs 7 adjusted to any desired space. whereupon the set screws are both tightened and the legs 7 will be held fixed in their adjusted relation. It will also be obvious that the centering point together with the legs may be used as a scratch gage in order to mark or indicate parallel lines dlsposed equidistantly on each side of a medially disposed line.

When used as an equal divider with the divider legs separated and fixed against rela tive movement by tightening the set screws as before described, the upper end of the centering member t may be utilized to rotate the legs of the divider upon their contacting points.

The members 1 and 9 being formed with the vertical extensions 2 and 12 and the links 14 being pivoted at one end to the divider legs 7 and at the other end to the member 9 on opposite sides of the vertical center of the member 4 no lost motion occurs.

It will be noted also that when it may not be necessary to establish a fixed relation between the members l and 9 and with the set screw 0 tightened the member 9 is free to reciprocate upon the member 1 and constitutes a guide for the movement of the divider legs 7 and that when the set screw 5 isreleased and the set screw 13 is tightened, the head 1 constitutes a guide through which the centering member may reciprocate, so that the links 14: cause the divider legs to move evenly and accurately.

When the centering rod or member 4 is held in fixed relation to the sliding member 9 by tightening the set screw 13, then moving the legs of the divider into diverging relation will cause the shifting of the centering member outward so that the point of the centering member will be moved proportionately to one side of a line connecting the points of the divider legs. When, however, the centering member is fixedly connected to the head 1, a divergent movement of the legs with relation to each other will cause a relative shifting of the centering member which will carry its point to the other side of the line connecting the points of the legs. Thus my instrument may be used for laying out ellipses and curves, and in the former case, if the points of the legs are disposed at the ends of the'ellipse, the centering point by its movement will indicate one-half of the minor diameter of the ellipse so that the ellipse may be readily traced. My instrument may thus be used for determining the position of points intersected by a curved line and thus be used for laying ofi curves.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, I). 0.

The several parts of the instrument are readily and economically made and may be quickly assembled.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An instrument of the character de scribed, comprising a T-shaped head having a vertical passage therethrough, a pair of divider legs pivotally connected with the lateral extensions of the head, a Z-shaped member having a vertical extension and a central vertical passage, links each pivoted at one end to a divider leg and at the opposite end to one of the lateral extensions of the Z-shaped member, a centering member slidingly disposed in the passages in the head and in the Z-shaped member, and set screws in the head and Z-shaped member adapted to bind the centering member in adjusted position.

2. An instrument of the character described, comprising a head,'oppositely disposed legs pivoted to the extremities of the head, said legs being straight from end to end, a centering member operatively connected to the head and disposed midway between said legs, a member mounted upon the centering member and having oppositely disposed offset arms, and links crossing each other and each pivoted at its extremity to the offset arm farthest away from the corresponding leg,.the arms being offset for the purpose or receiving the legs when in a position approximately parallel to each other.

3. An instrument of the character described, comprising a T-shaped head formed with a central longitudinally extending passage, the arms of said head being bifurcated, oppositely disposed legs pivoted in the bifurcated arms of the head, a centering member extending through the passage in the head and longitudinally adjustable therein, a slide mounted upon the centering memher, said slide having oppositely disposed offset arms and a central passage through which the centering member passes, and links each pivoted to one'of said arms and one of said legs, said links crossin g'each other.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELLIS THOMPSON Witnesses:

H. O. KENNEDY, ELIZABETH HAUCHINS.

Commissioner of Patent. 

